1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to multiple light strings and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to improved apparatus for installation of Christmas lights wherein the light strings are readily received on a carrier apparatus for transportation and storage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a great amount of prior art extending back over a long period of time that relates to light strings and apparatus for mounting various types of light strings in both indoor and outdoor decorative displays. An early U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,310 discloses an outside light holder for Christmas lights that consists of a cylindrical holder that may be fastened to a building roof or facia location to hold an individual Christmas light socket. Thus a plurality of such cylindrical socket supports are secured along the designated display sight at the requisite spacing to hold each individual lamp of the light string. U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,090 shows another early form of light string support wherein a channel member is adapted for mounting of a string of spaced Christmas lights, and the channel member is fitted with a hook edge for the purpose of suspending the channel from the front of residential guttering thereby to display a light pattern along the roof eave line. U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,687 discloses an individual light socket retaining means which consists of a base element for mounting to a house or similar structure to be coupled with a clip-type light socket holder that is attachable to the base element. For mounting a string of Christmas lights, a plurality of such base element/clip-holders must be attached to the residential structure to outline the lighting pattern as a base/holder is required for each individual lamp socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,227 provides teaching of a storage container for a string of lights such as Christmas lights wherein the storage container holds the lights serially in stored array such that the light string may be removed from the end of the container one bulb at a time for stringing and placement on a tree or other situs. A recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,067 teaches a Christmas light organizer that consists of a rectangular frame having a plurality of tooth-like projections along each edge which allow the string of lights to be wound around the frame and through successive adjacent projections along the edges of the frame. A pre-examination patent search of the related art disclosed still other teachings of general interest only, and none of the prior art teaches anything approaching the particular light strip apparatus, nor the storage apparatus, nor the general combination.